Injection molding apparatus



May 28, 1940. c. F. BURROUGHS INJECTION MOLDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 w F 00 Q om 8. $3 n 6 mm mi .1 I- 3 6 m Y m o 4 w -M u m m 2 man d r F./ 0 n F m llllll llllllllllllllll ll ma I i 1| E n. o a n. m .2 on I I 2. L llll I1 lllllllllnw Ii 11. .a .v \R N3 0 May 28,1940. d. F. BURROUGHS INJECTION MOLDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 4, less INVENTOR 9 5 ATT'Y.

May 28, 1940.

6 Sheets-Sheet' 3 Filed Aug. 4, 1936 v :c. BURROUGHS INJECT ION MOLD ING APPARATUS a 8 I I fllg ggsg I u H wt m: 4.

May 28, 1940.

c. F. BURROUGHS INJECTION MOLDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 4. 1936 May 28, 1940. c. F. BURROUGHS INJECTION MOLDING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 v Filed Aug. 4. 1936 III 6 Sheets-Sfieet 6 c. F. B URROUGHS Filed Aug. 4, 1936 INVENTOR f INJEQTION MOLDING APPARATUS- Q2 0:1 as. 3. l I H 3.

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May 28, 1940.

mama May as, 1910' I PATENT? OFFICE INJECTION MOLDING APPARATUS Charles F1. Burroughs, East Orange,- N. J. Application August 4, 1936, Serial-No. 94,251

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improved injection, molding apparatus and methods that are particularly applicable to injecting thermoplastic material into cooled closed molds.

Various types of injection molding machines and methods have heretofore been proposed and used, but the same have certain deficiencies involving among others inconvenience or inefllciency of operation or limited flexibility in adapting the machines to a wide variety of applications either as to the forms of products produced or as to the volumetric and pressure control required for such products.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved machine constructed'and arranged so as to be conducive to economical manufacture, maintenance and operation together with convenience and flexibility of use whereby articles may be rapidly produced with uniform density and surface lustre.

It is a further object of my invention to provide an improved combination of elements and construction thereof whereby the machine has an means for controlling communication therebe improved mode of automatic operation. A further object is to provide in such a machine improved time control means whereby uniform results in the operation of the machine. are obtained notwithstanding variable conditions that might be momentarily or permanently involved during normal use of the machine in the successive production of a given article or different articles.

A further object is to provide an improved construction that is sturdy, thoroughly dependable and is eflicient and convenient in operation com- .bined with accessibility to the parts. As a result, thermoplastic and phenolic condensation material may be injected into the mold at anexceedingly high rate and under correct pressure. Other objects are: to provide improved means for varying the volume of material to a predetermined amount so that it bears a definite relation to the volume of the mold; to provide an improved preheating chamber and combined measuring and. injection chamber. with improved 9 to amalgamate. the same in the mold and thereby produce a uniform density and a high surface lustre of the molded article; and to provide an improved mold carrier and stripping mechanism and control therefor that will permit rapid discharge of the molded'articles and rapid alignment of an empty mold preparatory to receiving further material.

In one specific aspect of the invention I accomplish certain of the foregoing improved results by employing hydraulically operatedmeans for forcing material through a preheating chamher and into a combined measuring and injec- 10 tion chamber from which the material is injected into a closed mold by hydraulically operated means, the communication between said chamber and between said injection chamber and mold being so controlled and coordinated in an is improved manner with maximum flow speed of the material and uniform densityof the finished products.

Other objects and advantages will be more apparent to those skilled in the art from the fol- 2o lowing description of the accompanying drawings in which: v

Fig. 1 is a plan viewjof the machine;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of 25 the injection end of the machine taken substantially on theline 3-3 of Fig. 1, parts being foreshortened or broken away to show a more complete relation of parts;

I Fig. 4 is a horizontal fragmentary sectional 30 view of the mold end of the machine taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially on the lines 5-5 of Figs. 2 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 35 of Figs. 2 and 4;

Fig. 7 is a transverse section taken substantially on the lines 1'I of Figs. 3 and 2;

' Fig. 8 is an enlarged horizontal fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig.

Fig. 9 diagrammatically illustrates the relation of operating and control elements;

Fig. 10 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 10-40 of Fig. 3.

The particular embodiment of the invention which is shown herein merely for the purpose of illustrating one specific form among possible others that the invention might take in practice, is especially applicable to injection molding of thermoplastic or phenolic condensation products although it will of course be clear that under certain circumstances and conditions the machine may be applicable to other types-of materials.

2 is providedfor a mold operating ram. An intermediate stationary chamber housing 3 contains preheating and injection chambers to bev presently described. These three housings are held in fixed relation to each other by a pair of side rods or columns 4 and 5 which as shown in Fig. 6 are diagonally located one at the bottom'corner of the machine and the other at the upper corner, thereby providing maximum accessibility to the molding elements as hereafter disclosed. Sleeves 1 surround the rods as generally indicated in Fig. l to form spacers between the various housings I, 2 and 3 while siderod nuts 8 clamp the housings and spacers together. To assist'in maintaining the housings parallel to each other, a third joining rod 9 connects the housings at their lower corner opposite to rod 5. Suitable spacing sleeves 9 separate the housings. The rod 9 is of smaller diameter than rods 4 and 5, as the former functions to steady the housings whereas the latter primarily carries the load forces.

Thermoplastic material such as powdered cel-- lulose acetate is placed in a hopper Ill, Figs. 2 and 3, which communicates with a preheating chamber I I, this chamber being formed in a cylindrical member I2 projecting from and formed as part of the intermediate housing 3. A plunger I3, moved by a double acting hydraulically operated ram i4 located in a cylinder Ida, is adapted to push material through an annular space or passageway I5 constituting a part of said preheating chamber. This passageway is formed preferably by a cylindrical sleeve I6 received in an enlarged recess ll of member I2 while an internal cylindrical heating core I8 having a tapered nose I8a is supported as at 20 in the right end of sleeve iii. The annular passageway thus formed terminates in an inclined shoulder 2| to direct material forced throughpassageway I5 into a passage '22 which communicates with an injection chamber to be described. Suitable heating means, preferably an electrical heating element 23 such as a resistor or the like, is positioned within core I8 so as to uniformly heat the same through its length. Also a series of electrical heating elements 24, specifically shown as six in number in Fig. 7 although any other number may be employed, are arranged concentrically to annular passageway I5. As a result of the foregoing construction and arrangement of the preheating chamber and heating means, I have found that the material may be rapidly and uniformly heated throughout to a highly satisfactory state of flux, this being accomplished in an extremely compact structure whose minimum surface contact with the material insures maximum flow speed thereof with minimum power. The leads for the heating elements 24 extend through the left end of housing I2, while the leads for heating element 23 terminate at the right end of core I8. This core and its sleeve I6 may be conveniently and readily removed by first unscrewing a pin 26 which is normally received inopenings in sleeve I6 and core I8 to hold the same in a predetermined angular position, and then vertically removing a keeper block 21, Figs. 3 and 8. As shown in Fig. 8, this block has wedging flanges 28 receivable in complementary grooves'of the housing and arranged to overlap a portion of the. outer end of sleeve I6 and core I8, thereby-to positively hold the same in position. A vertical channel 29, open at the top and bottom, receives and protects the lead wires for heating element 23 without in any way interfering with the convenient removal of the keeper block and subsequent removal of sleeve I6 and core I8.

The molding material is forced from annular chamber I5 into passage 22 and thence into an injection chamber 3|, Fig. 3, through a suitable valve mechanism preferably in the form of a three way rotary cylindrical valve 32. This valve when in the position as shown in Fig. 3 permits material'to be forced into the injection chamber which is preferably formed by a sleeve 33 having removable threaded connection with housing 3. The chamber wall terminates in a conical end 3| to direct the material into certain of the T- shaped valve passages. A plunger 34 having a removable wearing sleeve 35 is adapted, upon 90 counterbalance rotation of valve 32 from-its position shown in Fig. 3, to force material through valve passageway 36, passage 31 and a relatively small injection orifice 38 into a suitable mold held in position adjacent said orifice. When valve 32 is rotated to its injection position as just above described, the third valve passage 39 is closed in its down position. Plunger 34 is con nected by a suitable split clamp 40, to a double acting ram 4I located in a cylinder 42.

Valve 32 is provided with apinion 45 which meshes with a rack 46, this rack being formed with a rod 41 suitably guided by a bore 41a in housing 3. A lost motion split connecting clamp 48 is positively secured to rod 41 and is provided with a cylindrical bore 49 to receive a head 50 formed on a rod 52, whereby rod 41 is moved to the right only after rod 52 has moved forwardly for substantially the length of bore 49. Piston rod 52 is operated by a double acting ram 53 disposed within a cylinder 54 referred to more fully in the description of the diagrammatic View of Fig. 9.

To maintain the material in a heated condition when forced into the injection chamber 3I, a second series of heating elements 5?- are provided in concentric relation to injection chamber 3| as is shown most clearly in Fig. 7. To further insure uniform heating or fiuxing of the material, the housing 3 is provided with suitable recesses 58 and 59 at the top and bottom in which suitable insulation 60 is disposed.

To regulate the volume of material tobe injected at any one stroke by plunger 34, the length of its stroke is controlled by an adjustable stop 6|, Fig. 3, having threaded engagement with a cylinder head 63 and operated by a hand wheel 64 whereby a forward projection 65 on stop 6| is adapted to-engage piston 4| and thus limit the extent of rearward piston movement. Hence by suitable adjustment of hand wheel 64, it is possible to obtain a predetermined volumetric capacity of the injection chamber and this adjustment may be effected at any time in a very simple and effective manner.

A mold carrier 10 (Figs. 3. 4 and 5) comprises as shown in Fig. 5 a cast U-frame having horizontal parallel sides II and 12 with a connecting portion I3 at the closed endof the U. This frame is slidably supported at three of its corners on sleeves 1, I and 9, Fig. 5. The open end of the U is provided with vertically removable keeper strip 14 bolted as ..at 15 to the parallel legs II and 12. As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the mold carrier 10 has grooves 18' to receive suitable 92. Upper and lower blocks 92a and 92b, bolted -preheating chamber II, the plunger I3 being in tongues on a mold frame which will be more fully referred to later in Fig. 9 but which is omitted from the other figures for sake of clarity. By first removing the keeper member I4, Fig. 5, a mold frame may he slid horizontally through the open side of the U-shaped mold carrier 70. Hence it will be understood that whatever mold, die or other appliance or arrangement is to be used in' connection with molding a given product, the same is supported in' the mold carrier and held tightly against the injection orifice 33, this orifice preferably being formed in an insert 18 removably held in position by a series of screws 19, Fig. 3. It will of course be understood that the mold is suitably cooled by circulation of water through usual cooling passages therein, but to further assist in maintaining the mold cool when placed adjacent the housing 3, there is provided a series of insulation pads 80 in the face thereof; Hence flow of heat from housing 3 to the mold is materially retarded. l

To automatically operate the molds and strippers, I have provided an improved combination operated in cooperation with the preheating and injection chamber operations. To this end, the mold carrier I is normally biased to the right,

Figs. 3 to 5, by upper and lower-springs 84, Fig.-

5, interposed between intermediate housing 3 and mold carrier 10. To limit the extent of separation of these two members, bolts 85 arranged coaxial with said springs are secured at one end to the mold carrier and slidably guided in housing 3. An enlarged head 86 on pin 85 provides a limit stop for the separating action of springs 84. The forward. end of a double acting hydraulic ram- 9|, which is disposed within a cylinder 90, Fig. 4, carries a complemental die'or mold platen to diagonal corners of platen 92, slide on sleeves I, I to prevent rotation of the platen. This platen has four forward projections 93, Figs. 4'

and 6, located in each quadrant and spaced apart to form horizontal recesses 94 and vertical recesses 95. Each of the projections is provided with diagonal T-shaped bolting slots 96 for securing the molding structure thereto. Disposed within the horizontal and vertical slots 94 and 95 is a stripper pin support having horizontal and vertical arms 91 and 98 provided with a series of openings 99 to receive stripper pins at any desired position. The stripper support is normally biased into contact with the bottom I00 of recesses 94 and 95, Fig. 4, by rods I'0I. and'springs I02. supported'withinrecesses in ram 9|. To eflect a stripping operation, a pair of rods I04 and I are adjustably threaded in suitable ears or flanges of housing 2 so that said'rods are supand mold support and rods I04 and I05, as used I in connection with one particular form of mold construction, will be more apparent from the de-' scription of operation.

Operation and control system.-With the parts in the position as shown in Fig. 9, molding material feeds by gravity from hopper I0 into the The' its withdrawn position.' To start the press, a suitable positive displacement continuously driven pump 0 is started. This pump is of the well-known variable displacement Hele-Shaw.

type wherein an adjustable spring I Illa biases the pump pistons toward maximum displacement. A

hand lever III is then moved to shift control valve I I2 to the left wherein it .is held by apivota1 latch II3. Pump pressure fiuid is thus -discharged through a 'pipe II4 to. a pipe II5 an;

thence simultaneously to mold operating cyl-' inder 90 and cylinder I4a. Movement of ram 9| in a left direction will cause'support 02 and any suitable spacer IIB carried thereby to move forwardly together with the stripper support 97, 98. spacer IIG' engages the mold section 8 which is supported in the mold carrier I0. 'After mold sections H6 and H8 come into engagement, the

As this forward movement progresses, the

latter is then moved forwardly into contact with the face of intermediate housing 3-, it being understood that a suitable sprue passage I registers with the injection orifice 38. While the foregoing mold closing operation is taking place, material filling ram I4'is moving to the right, there- -by forcing material through the annular space I5 of heating chamber II and thence through passage 22 and valve 32 into injection chamber 3I. By this time the mold will be fully closed and firmly held in position by a substantially predetermined pump pressure in cylinder 00,. and this I Substantially upon occurrence of said predetermined pump pressure, pressure-responsive means such as an adjustablespring-controlled distributing valve I2I will open, thereby admitting said predetermined pump pressure through 'a pipe I22 and an adjustable needle valve controlled passage I23 to,the left end of cylinder 54. Rod 52 will thereupon gradually move to the right until the lost motion in connection at is taken up. During the period of time required to take up said lost motion connection, .the plun'ger I3 is exerting a continuous force on the material in the preheating and injection'chambers II and I3 so that there will-be ample time for the plastic material to creep into a more uniformly compact mass. 'It will be understood'that the initial movement of plunger I3 is relatively rapid and that it slows down as the material compresses and flow thereof takes place through the heating chamber and'into the injection chamber. Thus the lost motion connection and valve I24 constitute a timing means for the heating of the material in passing through annular space I5'and for the filling operation 0 injection chamber 3|. This timing may be varie by adjusting needle valve I24. Upon completion of the timing operation above described, ram 53 will have uncovered passage I25, thereby permitting an unrestricted supply of pump fluid into cylinder. 54 to rapidly move rods 52 and 41 and rack 46 to the right.

. Pinion 45 is thus rotated 90 counterclockwise to clo'sepassage 22 and connect injection chamber 3I with orifice 38. Immediately with the com' pletion of rotating the valvethrough a passage I26 is opened by rain 53 to permit pump 1 fluid to flow freely from passage I25 directly through cylinder 54 and passage I26 to cylinder 42-, thereby immediately moving injection plunger 34 to the right and causing the plastic material in chamber 3| to be injected through sprue passage I20, gates I21 and into the mold cavities I28 under a full pressure head. .The article is thus molded. that in molding thermoplastic material, the mold is cooled by circulation of water through mold passages in a manner well understood in the art.

If it is desired to operate the injection plunger under a pressure lower than the mold closing pressure, then a normally closed shut-off valve I29 is opened whereupon pump pressure admitted to injection operating cylinder 42 is transmitted through pipe I30 and the now opened valve I29 to exert a force on a pump adjusting piston I3Ia and thereby supplement the pressure on piston N to further reduce the piston displacement and accordingly reduce the pump pressure. This reduced pressure is now the injection operating pressure. It will-be noted, however, that the pressure on the mold ram 9| and filling ram I4 is maintained at the higher pressure by reason of check valve I43 closing when the pump pressure is reduced. Thus it is possible to maintain a maximum mold closing force under all conditions.

Upon completion of the molding operation, the machine is automatically reversed by pressure in injection power cylinder 42 being transmitted through control pipes I30 and I 3| and through a throttle v'alve I32 to raise a time delay piston I33 which is biased downwardly by a spring I33a.

--When piston I33 has risen to its full height, fluid pressure then raises a spring pressed plunger I34 to engage latch H3 and release the same whereupon a spring I35 moves control valve II2 to the right. It will be understood that the spring of plunger I33 is weaker than the spring of plunger I34 thereby permitting the former to rise ahead of plunger I 34 and create a definite timing action. When valve H2 is moved to its right position as shown and as just previously mentioned, pump pressure then flows from pipe II4 to pipe I36 and thence through pipe I31 to cylinder 90 to move ram 9I to the right and open the molds in a manner to be presently described. Simultaneously pump pressure is supplied through pipe I38 to move ram 53 to the left, thereby interrupting communication between the injection chamber and orifice 32. Also simultaneously therewith fluid is supplied through passages I39 and I40 to move rams M and I4 to the left. In this manner,-the preheating and injection chambers are made immediately available for the next cycle, the thermoplastic material flowing by gravity from its hopper I0 into the preheating chamber. Ram 53 moves rapidly to theleft by virtue of a springheld relief valve I4I which permits fluid in the left end of cylinder 54 to' be discharged into pipe I22 and thence through a check valve I43 and pipes I44 and H5, which latter pipe is now open to exhaust through a pipe I45. Toinitiate the next cycle of operation, it is necessary to reset hand lever III in the manner previously described.

Stripping operation-When mold operating ram 9| starts its pullback movement to the right, Fig. 9, the various component elements of the mold structure initially move therewith as a unit due to springs 84 (Figs. 3, 4 and forcing mold carrier I0 away from the face of housing 3. However, bolt head 86 (Fig. 4) limits movement of It will of course be understood carrier I0 so that its final separation from housing 3 is only about, say, one inch. During the initial portion of this pullback movement, stripper arms 91 and 90 will be firmly held by springs I02 against the surface I00 of mold chase 92. Springs I02 are of sufficient strength to insure that a sprue breakerpin I65, Fig. 9, will pull on the sprue with suiiicient force to break the same at the orifice and thereafter pull out the sprue articles together with sprue I66 and gates leading therefrom to the articles to be ejected whereupon they drop to the bottom of the machine clear of the molds. The free end of pin I65. preferably terminates short of the mold face when the molds are closed, thereby permitting any small portion of hardened material within orifice 38 to be initially discharged into the space immediately adjacent the end of pin I65 without danger of such hardened material clogging any of the gates leading from the sprue passage. The plastic material which immediately follows the discharge of hardened material from orifice 38 will instantly fill up the undercut portion I61 and enclose the small hardened orifice core. A further function of rods I04 and I05 is to provide an adjustable limit stop for the pullback position of the mold operating ram 9I.. This ram is shown in its maximum pullback position in Fig. 4' wherein it contacts the cylinder head. However, if the mold structure should be of such dimensions that it would not be necessary to return the ram to its maximum pullback position, then rods I04 and I05 may be screwed to the left any desired distance. Thereupon platen 92 will be stopped when it engages the threaded shoulder portion of said screws. This function does not interfere in any way' with the stripper operation previously described.

If it is desired to have successive operations automatically repeated, it is only necessary to manually release a latch I50 normally resting in a groove I5I formed in the rod of a piston I52. Thereupon a spring I53 will thrust piston I52 and its rod to the left into engagement with the stem I54 of valve H2 and accordingly shift the latter so as to start the cycle of operation in the manner as previously described in connection with the manual operation of lever III. Wnen spring I53 thus shifts valve II2, hand lever III will be moved and permit latch I I3 to engage and hold the same in the manner as also previously described, it being understood that latch'II'3 is urged to its latched position by a spring or counterweight I55. When valve II2 shifts to the left to initiate press operation, pump pressure builds up in pipe I I5 as previously described, and this pressure is transmitted through a pipe I56 1 to move piston I52 to the right, thus compressing spring I53. Piston I52 is held in its right position by a latch I51 which drops down into groove I5I when the crosshead 92 moves forwardly with ram 9| to close the molds, the latch being controlled by a pivoted follower arm I58 engaging a suitable tion. When the press has completed the injection operation as previously described, latch H3 is released by piston I34 and-spring I35 shifts valve II2 to the right, thereby exhausting pressure from pipe II5. Pressure in pipe I56 alsodrops but piston I52 is held in its right position by latch I51. However, when the pullback cycle of the various rams is completed, cam I59 will have engaged follower lever I58 to cause release of latch I51. Thereupon spring I53 again moves piston I52 to the left to engage valve stem I54 and accordingly shift valve II2 to the left to restart the cycle of operations automatically. This automatic operation will continue indefinitely until latch I is manually thrown into a position to engage groove I5I and thus permanently hold piston I52 out ofoperation, whereupon the press will come to a complete stop.

Thermoplastic or other materials are produced in different colors and hence in changing over a machine from one colorto another, it is desirable to clean those parts of themachine having contact with the material as otherwise the new color will be streaked by the old color. If the machine is not cleaned, then it is necessary to run an appreciable quantity of new colored material through the machine to carry away the former colored material. material and time, although in certain types of machines this might be cheaper than dismantling A the machine for physical cleaning. My machine is so constructed and arranged in an improved manner that the component parts in contact with the material are readily and conveniently accessible for thorough cleaning, all with minimum time and yet without impairing the maximum efliciency of operation or the economical manufacture and maintenance. This is accomplished by first arranging the valve mechanism 32, Figs. 3 and 10, so that when it isremoved all of its parts may bereadily cleaned and in addition direct access may be had to-passage 22, Fig. 3. As shown in'F'lg. 10, valve 32 is journalled in a sleeve I15 normally held stationary by a vertical screw I16 extending upwardly through housing 3 from the bottom thereof, Fig. 3. The valve has a shaft one end of which is journalled as at I11 in a plug I18 while the other end abuts against plug 119. These 'plugs are insertable into suitable recesses from the sides of housing 3 and are held by any suitable bolts or screws I80. Pinion gear 45 bears against the inner end of plug I18. The valve shaft is thus held in a fixed axial position. Rack 46 extends upwardly through a slotted opening I81.

To clean the entire apparatus of injection material, it is only necessary, Fig. 3,-to remove plug I18 whereupon valve 32and its sleeve I15 may be bodily removed and separated from each other so as to provide convenient access to the valve passages 36 and 39, as well as to clean the valve surfaces and all other portions of the valve or valve chamber without dimculty. Next. screw 26. Fig. 3,

s removed together with upward removal of wedge block 21 whereupon the central core I8 and sleeve I6 may be removed axially and separated from This results in a waste of to be inserted downwardly through the opening for screw 26 and into the passage 22 to discharge material therein .through the opening for screw I16. Upon reassembling all of the foregoing ele- -ments the apparatus is then ready for injection of material of a new color without fear of contamination thereof. Hence it is seen that an extremely economical and yet highly emcient structure and mode of operation are provided. I

It will of course be understood that various changesindetails of construction and arrangement of parts may be madeby those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the III chamber, and meanswhereby said injection chamber receives from said heating chamber a definite quantity of heated material for each successive molding operation including a plunger for forcing material from said injection chamber into the mold and an adjustable screw for engaging said plunger to limit its return stroke and thereby determine the volumetric capacity of said injection machine. v

2. Apparatus for molding material comprising,

in combination, a preheating chamber, an injection chamber, means for forcing material through said preheating chamber into said injection chamber, an injection orifice, means for discharging material from said injection chamber through said orifice, and means operative to allow new of material from said preheating chamber into said injection chamber while preventing communication between the injection chamber and said orificeand to prevent communication between said chambers when said injection chamber is in communication with said orifice.

3. Apparatus for molding material comprising, in combination, an injection orifice, an injection chamber, hydraulically operated means for filling said injection chamber by forcing material therein at an initially relatively rapid rate and finally at a relatively slow rate in accordance with the compressibility of the material, mechanism forclosing said orifice during said filling operation and for opening the same thereafter, hydraulically operatedmeans for discharging material from said injection chamber through said orifice, means for actuating said mechanism so as to eflect said opening of the orifice only after a predetermined length of filling time, and means whereby upon opening of said orifice said hydraulically operated discharging means is rendered operative, said means for opening said orifice including a power operated lost motion connection.

4. Apparatus for molding material comprising, in combination, an injection orifice, an injection chamber, hydraulically operated means for forcing material into said injection chamber to fill the same, valve mechanism adapted to close said orifice during said filling operation and to open the same thereafter, hydraulically actuated means for operating said valve mechanism including a lost motion connection, hydraulically operated means for discharging material from said injec-- tion chamber through said orifice, means for gradually supplying operating fluid to said valve operating means during said filling operation thereby to take up the lost motion in said conously prevents discharge of material through saidv 5. The combination set forth in claim 4 further characterized in that said hydraulically operated means for discharging material from said injection chamber is controlled by said valve actuating means.

6. Apparatus for molding material comprising, in combination, an injection chamber, a discharge orifice therefor, means for supplying material to said injection chamber, a rotatable valve having a T-shaped passage which in one position establishes communication between said injection chamber and said supply means and simultaneorifice and in another position of said valve it closes said supply communication and opens said oriflce.

7. Apparatus for molding thermoplastic material comprising, in combination, means forming a longitudinally extending injection chamber, means forming a laterally disposed preheating chamber, a transverse passage for establishing communication between said preheating and injection chambers, a core longitudinally positioned insaid preheating chambenremovable flanged means slidable at substantially right angles to the axis of said core and disposed at one end thereof for holding the same in position in said preheating chamber and for permitting axial removal therefrom, and means allowing direct access to said transverse passage in a direction axially thereof and from a laterally exterior pointof said chambers.

8. Apparatus for molding material comprising, in combination, an injection chamber, hydraulically. operated means for discharging material ing chamber whereby during the filling of said' injection chamber a mold is closed, means for thereafter supplying operating fluid to said hydraulically operated means for discharging material from said injection chamber into the mold, a pressure release valve normally operative to prevent such injection operation, and means for controlling said release valve so as to initiate said injection operation after a predetermined pressure has been built up in said hydraulic cylinders to operate both said mold closing ram and said hydraulically operated means which forces material through the preheating chamber.

9. Injection molding apparatus comprising, in combination, a mold operating ram and cylinder, a hydraulically operated injection plunger and chamber therefor, a dual pressure pump, means for commonly supplying actuating fluid from the pump to said ram and injection plunger, and control means for causing said pump to supply a relatively high operating pressure to said ram and to supply actuating fluid at a lower pressure to operate said injection plunger.

10. The combination set forth in claim 9 further characterized by the provision of means for rendering said low pressure operation inoperative thereby to supply high operating pressurefluid to said ram and plunger.

CHARLES F. BURROUGHS 

